Last for boots and shoes



r(No Model.) A ,4 wagens-*sheen AEN. HIGL-BY.-

LAST FOR BOOTSANDLSHOBS.

Patentedlov. 8,1881.

N. PETERS. Phalumugmpher. washington, DAC.

2 sheets-sheet 2..

" :(No Model.)

E. vN. 151181888. LAST POB. BOOTS AND SHOES. y

No. 249,884. "Patented Nov. 8,1881.i

-m wi W|TNESS ES QM) m? UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

EBEN N. HIGLEY, OF GREAT FALLS, NEI/V HAMPSHIRE.

' LAST FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

srncrnrcecirolv forming pere ef Lettere 'Parent Ne. 249,354, dated November s, 1881.

Application filed August 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

` lowing is a full and exact description thereof',

reference bein ghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specitication-l Figure 1 being a side view of a last provided with my improvement; Fig. 2, a bottom view of the same.; Fig. 3, a cross-section thereof in a plane indicated by the line .fr w, Figs. land 2;

Fig. 4, abottom view, representing a modification of the construction.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

In the Letters Patent issued to Levi W. Shorey, February 3, 1880,No.224,234, a metallic last is described havingopen grooves under the peg-rows, as distinguished from grooves filled with some sufficiently soft material to receive the projectin g points of the drivenpegs. The advantages of these open grooves are'that the pegs do not interfere with drawing the last from the boot or shoe, and there is no Wear or destruction of any part from the drawing ot'- the pegs. The principalobjections toa metallic last are its weight and expense.I In an application for Letters Patent previously iiled by Vme I have described a last made lnostly of wood, but with a thin metallic bottom piece or plate having open pegging-grooves through i the metallic plate and reaching into the wood of the last. This construction reduces the weight of the last nearly to that of an ordinary wooden last; but its expense is considerably greater than that of a wooden last. wooden last with open grooves is not practicable, the wood not being sufficiently firm and strong to prevent abrasion and breaking away of theedges of the grooves.

My present invention consists in a wooden last having open grooves lined on their sides with iron or other suitable metal for pegging over.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the body of a wooden last. The grooves et a for pegging over are formed in the wood'by simply rabbeting theedges of the sole or bottom, then lining the inner side thereof with A simple e a strip or strips', d, of iron or other suitable metal, screwed or otherwise secured to the wood forming the middle part of the sole, as shown. Then a rim or stripb, (one or more,joined at i the ends,) of metal, of suiicient width to 'form the outer side of the peg-grooves and to lap upward over the sides of the last-body far enough (either throughout its length or at intervals) to fasten it to the sides of the last, is applied. The form ofthis strip in cross-section, thick at the lower edge and-thin or knifeedged at the upper edge, to lap neatly over the wood, as shown in Fig. 3, Iprei'er, though I do not intend to confine my invention thereto. There might be a thickness of wood outside ot' this outer metallic lining; but it would be of no particular advantage, would not allow the grooves to` be so near the edge ofthe last as otherwise, and the construction would be more costly than that represented. Besides, it would not be so strong and durable as the one shown; or theliningof the groovesmight be made of a single strip of metal bent in U form in cross-section, and covering the bottom as well as both sides of the groove. I prefer, however, the construction represented in the drawings.

One special advantage ofthis invention, adding greatly to its value, is that by its use I can take worn-out wooden lasts, those rendered unit for further use as such by the splitting and abrading of the wood where the rows ot' pegs ar'e repeatedly driven into the last, and make them over into grooved lasts, since the rabbets made in the edges of these lasts cut and clear away all the damaged part, leaving the remainder of the last sound. Thus I am enabled` to utilize old lasts and make therefrom my grooved metallic-lined lasts.

For such kinds of work as do not have pegs all around the bottom of the boot or shoe, but have nails at the toe andheel, I make only side grooves, a a, lined with metal, as shown lccted for lining and cutting away.

Without disturbance for tacking into until it is too much split up for holding the tacks Well. Then, or when thelast is rst made, if desired, the Wood is cut out inside. of the 1ining-tubes and plugs or disks driveninto the tubes, which hold them securely. These disk -plugs are preferably made with the ends of the grain outward, since they do not ahrade so fast by the driving of the tacks in consequence. Of course these disks maybe replaced as often as necessary. 4

When old lasts are made over, as above set forth, this method of lining` and plugging around the tacking-spots is just suited thereto, the places Where the tackshave previously abraded and worn away the wood being serlhe heel of the last, Where the heel-tack is driven in,

may be treated in a similar manner by lining and plugging; but this is not of so much consequence, since the heel-tacks, heingdriven into the Wood there, Where the ends ot' the grain are'outWa-rd, do not injure the last so much as do the bottom tacks.

' Wooden lasts with grooves to receive strips of some soft material to peg into, and with holding or lining strips of metal outside thereof, have been used, as also grooves in the iron bot- 4toms of lasts to receive some soft material for peggin g into. These are clearly distinguished from my invention, since I use open pegginggrooves containing no material.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-\ A Wooden last for boots and shoes,having open peg-grooves a a therein,lined at the sides v'vith metallic linings b b d d, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

The foregoing specification signed by me.

EBEN N. HIGLEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. THOMPSON,

W. H. BARNES. 

